Slow West

"A jack rabbit in a den of wolves."

After their collaboration together in two short films, John Maclean and Michael Fassbender team up for the director's feature debut in this originally fresh take on the Western genre. In Slow West we get a different glimpse of the West, avoiding the typical Americana style confrontation between cowboys and indians. Here we are introduced to a world where immigrants are trying to force their way through this lawless land. Surviving in this place has nothing to do with how well of a shot you are, it's more about luck and being at the right place at the right time. The story, which was written by Maclean, follows the journey of a 16 year old boy named Jay Cavendish (Kodi Smit-McPhee) who has traveled from Scotland to the West in search of Rose (Caren Pistorius), the woman he's in love with. Along with her father, John (Rory McCann), they had to flee from Scotland after an incident with Jay's father. Jay is clueless about the West, but determined. He runs into a former bounty hunter named, Silas (Michael Fassbender) who offers his service as his chaperon realizing he will need protection if he wants to survive in this place. What Jay doesn't know however is that there is a bounty for Rose and her father, and there are many people interested in collecting the reward. Among them there is the eccentric Payne (Ben Mendelsohn) who is an old acquaintance of Silas.

What the film does extremely well in Slow West is balance the western genre with a dry sense of humor. There are plenty of surprisingly funny moments in this film that help build the story. Through a series of fortunate (and misfortunate) events we follow these characters through their journey. Kodi Smit-McPhee and Michael Fassbender share strong chemistry together and keep us hooked during the slowly paced scene. There is a memorable scene that takes place in a store/bar during the first half of the film and a fantastic final shoot out at the end, which stands out from most Westerns. The film has a unique taste to it and some interesting characters, but the gorgeous cinematography is what stands out in this immense landscape. It's only 84 minutes long, but it is a perfect fit for this movie which ends in memorable fashion. It took its time to grow on me, but the more I think about it the more I end up liking this film. I've always been a huge fan of the Western genre, and adding Michael Fassbender to that mix only makes this an even more rewarding experience.

Slow West is stylish and uses its gorgeous landscape very well (it was actually filmed in New Zealand), but it also includes a dreamy atmosphere and plenty of humor. There is a scene during the beginning of the film where Jay is looking at the night stars and pointing his gun towards them and as he imaginarily shoots at them, they light up. There are plenty of dreamy sequences like this one, but there is also plenty of dry humor as well. There is a narration over a camp fire about an outlaw who wants his very own wanted poster. Ben Mendelsohn's eccentric coat is also a feast for the eyes which adds its comedic touch. Slow West has a great cast and it is a film worth recommending.

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Just a quick review here, Slow West is one of those Indie films in redbox I have wanted to catch up with before I do my best films of 2015 so far. Anything with Michael Fassbender in it is worth seeing and am also a big fan of the always gruesome Ben Mendelsohn. Violence is present throughout.

Slow West is an unusual Western about a young Scottish man/boy, Jay (Kodi Smit-McPhee), who is in love and due to a tragedy that he claims to be his fault, his love had to flee to the West. On his way to the west Jay has a run in with some men having a "hunting party" for Indians. At gunpoint and not knowing what to do, Jay is rescued? by Fassbender's character, Silas. They agree to a deal where Silas will protect and lead him to the West for a hundred dollars. Along the way the audience learns that Silas is truly just using Jay in a diabolic way, and that Jay's love Rose and her dad, have a $2,000 bounty on their bodies and Silas wants to collect.

On their way, encounters with Bandits and people of many kinds are frequent. Silas also learns a lot about Jay and sometimes seems to becoming fond of him but you are never really sure if Silas is using or helping Jay. Narrating, Silas says about Jay "That kid was a wonder. He saw things differently. To him, we were in a land of hope and good will." The uncertain relationship and even at times, a seeming mentor-ship between Silas and Jay is a component in Slow West that outright works. Will Silas help Jay save his gal or will Jay unknowingly lead Silas to his gal? Slow West is propelled by its great characters and cast. First time writer and director John Maclean has full control of this film and while it may be too slow for some, he succeeds in getting the audience to its inevitable finale caring about the characters and their fates. Overall throughout the film I was only mildly compelled by Slow West and without the intriguing characters, I would of been uninterested. That's what Fassbender and McPhee are their for, tremendously portrayals of their well written characters.

While Slow West will most likely miss my top 5 of 2015 so far list, it was an interesting and different look into the West. Hold on and focus on the characters to get you to the extremely effective and absorbing ending.

Slow West may be a pretty straightforward western on paper, but what makes it stand out is that everyone involved in the film gives it their best. From the acting to the gorgeous scenery, the movie looks great. Some have bashed the movie for being slow paced and too simple, but that seems to be the point of the film. We slowly explore the various obstacles that the west had to offer, whether good or bad. And having the main character come from the far east (Scotland) with a different, more optimistic perspective on life, makes his interactions in the American West quite interesting. That being said, the movie holds multiple surprises and enjoyable scenes that showcase the deadly west.

At the heart of the movie, this is a character drama where interactions between characters are meant to be the shining points of the movie. That being said, the movie works because Fassbender and Snit-McPhee are phenomenal together. This is a different take on the western genre (this isn't your father's western), Fassbender plays the typical nomad, but Smit-McPhee plays a fish out of water. He truly does not belong in the west and the movie shows us multiple times where he is flat out helpless.

And yes, there is a shoot-out at the end of the movie (can't be a western without a final showdown), but it is the events leading up to this moment that makes the movie pleasurable. Simple western scenarios are spun in a different manner because the characters in said situations aren't made for the brutal western lifestyle.

In an era of film where westerns have become a thing of the past (though they seem to be making a comeback), Slow West is one of the better westerns to come along in quite a long time. And since the movie is only 84 minutes long, the movie is short and sweet and gets to the point very quickly. There is not much to dislike here, especially the beauty of the New Zealand countryside.

Slow West may live up to it's title but it also proves that a slow pace does not mean it can't be action laced, fun and exciting.

Michael Fassbender does an old school style western that reminds me of Eastwood in his glory days. He portrays a man helping a boy from Scotland find his sweetheart who had to skip the country and head to America's West.

The movie was visually stunning as the filmmaker used a lot of cool camera tricks to make the Frontier look like colorful art work.

Went to see the movie cause Michael Fassbender was in it and I got real nervous as the picture started and I realized how slow it was going, but even though the pace staid slow the energy of the movie does not.

Slow west is filled with all the good stuff you loved, with Michael Fassbender playing the anti hero and Ben Mendelsohn playing the colorful villain. Even the fact that it was shot beautifully in New Zealand is a homage to the old school westerns that were shot in Italy.

Nothing but cool.

(2015) Slow West WESTERN ART HOUSE

Written and directed by John Maclean directing art house movie of young Irish teenage boy, Jay Cavendish (Kodi Smit-McPhee) attempting to find his young crush, Rose (Caren Pistorius ) when he used to live in Scotland, and hires bounty hunter, Silas Selleck (Michael Fassbender credited as co-executive producer) to locate the house she supposed to live in. You're basically watching it for the scenery and the picturesque landscapes regular movie watchers does not have time to do often. I'd put this movie in the same category as "Hostile" from 2017, "The Power of the Dog" made 2021 and "The Homesman" to name a few.